Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday stressed the importance of tourism in uniting the world. Praising the G20's efforts to boost toursim, PM Modi said: "I am happy to note that a G20 tourism dashboard is being developed in partnership with UNWTO [United Nations World Tourism Organization]. It will bring together best practices, case studies and inspiring stories," said PM Modi as he virtually addressed the G-20 Tourism Ministers' meeting being held in Goa.
"It is said that terrorism divides, but tourism unites. Indeed, tourism has the potential to unite people from all walks of life, creating a harmonious society," he said.
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Describing India's religious tourism, PM Modi said that India attracts pilgrims from every major religion of the world. After the infrastructure upgrade, Varanasi, a major spiritual centre now attracts 70 million pilgrims per year. "We are also creating new tourist attractions such as the 'Statue of Unity'. It attracted about 2.7 million people within a year after it was built. In the last nine years, we have placed special emphasis on developing the entire ecosystem of tourism in the country," PM Modi said at the G20 Tourism Ministers' summit.
Responding to PM Modi's efforts to boost tourism in India, World Tourism Organization Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili on Tuesday said "India has a huge potential" to attract more investment. He said: "India is one of the richest countries in the world with its cultural assets, and it means that tourism is here."
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Earlier on Wednesday, the G20 delegates performed yoga at the Raj Bhawan in Goa to mark the ninth edition of the International Day of Yoga. Goa Governor PS Shreedharan Pillai, Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy and Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt joined the delegates at the event.
About 130 delegates had come to Panaji for the fourth and final G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting that ended on Tuesday. It was followed by the two-day G20 ministerial meeting on Wednesday.
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(With PTI inputs.)